The Fascist Rise to Power History 408 / Fall 2012
Twists and Turns: Italian Cabinets & the Fascist Response
Dates Prime Minister Mussolini’s position March 30, 1911 – March 21, 1914 Giovanni Giolitti (liberal) March 21, 1914 – June 18, 1916 Antonio Salandra (nationalist liberal) Backs Salandra’s plan to enter WW I, 1914-15 June 18, 1916 – Oct. 29, 1917 Paolo Boselli (center-right; cabinet falls apart after military defeat at Caporetto) Oct. 23, 1917 – June 23, 1919 Vittorio Orlando (liberal; cabinet falls apart in response to Treaty of Versailles) June 23, 1919 – June 15, 1920 Francesco Nitti (“radical”) Violent opposition June 15, 1920 – July 4, 1921 Giovanni Giolitti (liberal) Quietly supportive of Giolitti’s foreign policy; later participates in liberal-led “National Bloc” election platform July 4, 1921 – Feb. 26, 1922 Ivanoe Bonomi (reform socialist) Supports government for several months (creating rift with other fascists) Feb. 26, 1922 – Oct. 31, 1922 Luigi Facta (liberal; cabinet falls due to Opposes government inability to handle rise of fascism) Oct. 31, 1922 – July 25, 1943 Benito Mussolini (Now he is the government!)
Postwar Elections
Communist Socialist Catholics Lib.-Democr.- Social Liberal Party National (PPI) Radical Democratic Bloc 1919 - 32.3% 20.5% 15.9% 10.9% 8.6% - 1921 4.6% 24.7% 20.4% 10.4% 4.7% 7.1% 19.1% 1924 3.7% 10.9% (= 2 9.0% 1.5% 3.3% 64.9% parties combined)
Timeline of Events
March 23, 1919 Mussolini forms Fascio in Milan (at the Piazza San Sepolcro) April 15, 1919 Marinetti and Vecchi ransack the offices of Avanti! in Milan Sept. 12, 1919 D’Annunzio and followers seize Fiume Nov. 1919 National elections in Italy; fascists fare very poorly May 24, 1920 Second Fascist Congress in Rome Sept. 1920 Workers occupy factories across northern Italy Nov. 12, 1920 Treaty of Rapallo signed; Giolitti accepts Fiume’s incorporation into Yugoslavia Jan. 1921 Communist Party of Italy formed May 1921 35 Fascists enter Italy’s Parliament following participation in “National Bloc” during elections Aug. 2, 1921 Pact signed between socialists & fascists Aug. 16, 1921 Mussolini resigns from executive board of the Fasci di combattimento Nov. 8, 1921 Mussolini re-elected to leadership of fascist movement Feb. 1922 Creation of a fascist league of university students March 1922 Mussolini visits Berlin and meets the foreign minister, Walther Rathenau Oct. 24, 1922 Fascist party conference in Naples Oct. 28, 1922 The fascist “March on Rome” commenes Oct. 29, 1922 Victor Emmanuel offers Mussolini the position of Prime Minister Oct. 31, 1922 Mussolini sworn in
Liberals who supported Mussolini’s appointment: Giolitti, Orlando, Salandra
Major Fascists and Their Power Bases
Italo Balbo – Ferrara Michele Bianchi – Secretary of fascist party Roberto Farinacci – Cremona Grandi – Bologna Giuseppe Volpi – Venice’s business community